joanna tebbs young

author | writer | historian | speaker | artist

Storytelling, whether in the form of memoir, journal writing, or historical narrative, is a way to connect to others via our shared history and humanity.

I have been scribbling since I was twelve when my Auntie Val gave me a small five-year diary — turquoise with a lock and tiny gold key. In my twenties, thanks to Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages, my diary-writing turned to journal-writing, which eventually led to “real” writing. My first byline was for a personal essay in a tiny local zine called Mama Says.

It was around this time that I realized I was a storyteller.

At first, I was only telling stories of my own life and experiences, but soon I found I loved discovering and sharing stories of other people and places too.

My first book, Lilian Baker Carlisle: Vermont Historian, Burlington Treasure; A Scrapbook Memoir, was published in June 2017.

I wrote regular columns and historical features for the Rutland Reader and Rutland Herald for six years. In 2021, I began a new historical column for the Rutland Herald/Times Argus Weekend Magazine called “Remember When.” (Links to all my articles can be accessed here: linktr.ee/jtebbsyoung or scan the QR code above.)

I have essays published in The Pitkin Review, Rutland Magazine, Chrysalis: Journal of Transformative Language Arts, and Transformative Language Arts in Action. I have various projects in the works including a memoir about discovering a new spirituality after leaving a fundamentalist religious community and a hybrid memoir-essay collection which weaves my personal story with a retelling of Biblical and other mythological stories. However, I am currently focused on revising my first work of fiction, an historical novel based in Vermont in the late 1800s/early 1900s inspired by research I did on my own home.

I hold an MFA in Creative Nonfiction (Personal Essay/Memoir) and an MA in Transformative Language Arts (Women’s Studies/Spirituality) from Goddard College. I earned a BA-Honors in History from Vermont State University (or Castleton State College, as it was called back then). I have also completed Boston University’s Genealogical Principles course.

I help others write their own stories too. Certified through the Center for Journal Therapy, I ran expressive writing workshops for personal-growth, mindfulness, and creative inspiration for over ten years, both in my private practice and through the TLA Network. I am now a (very) part-time library director, a facilitator for the Vermont Humanities Council, and certification manager for the TLA Network. I am available for speaking and teaching engagements.

I also draw a lot of mandalas (art page coming soon).